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Meeting/Event Information

November 12, 2015

St. John Fisher College - Golisano Gateway 3690 East AveRochester, NY 14618Venue website

Come network with experts from RMA, PRSA, and RAF!

$15.00 PRSA Member Ticket

$15.00 RMA Member Ticket

$15.00 RAF Member Ticket

$25.00 Guest Ticket

Get your career moving with our Speed Networking night! We’ve brought experts in news, social media, public relations and advertising together. You can meet with four of them during the speed networking, and there will also be time before and after the event to network even more!

Kim’s achievements span her nearly 20 years in public relations in the Rochester region. She has been with the Dixon Schwabl public relations department for 14 years, becoming vice president of public relations in 2006. In that role, she independently managed the growth and professional development of more than a dozen public relations specialists and provided strategic guidance and counsel to the president and CEO regarding the overall agency development. In 2010, she was named the agency’s managing partner, public relations, managing the growth of the public relations specialists within the state’s largest public relations department within an integrated agency outside of New York City. In addition to her career achievements, Kim has attained several professional achievements, including being named to the Rochester Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 in 2006, and numerous past/present board of director positions with organizations such as the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Heritage Christian Services Foundation Board of Directors.

Rachel Barnhart, News 8 Anchor

Rachel Barnhart anchors News 8 First at Four. She is a Rochester native. She grew up in the Maplewood neighborhood and graduated from John Marshall High School and Cornell University.

Rachel's television career started at WENY-TV in Elmira. From there, she reported and produced for Time Warner Cable's Rochester newsroom. She went on to become the weekend anchor at News 8 and later, 13WHAM. Rachel was thrilled to return to News 8 in April of 2013.

Rachel enjoys covering politics, education and downtown development. In 2011, Rachel co-founded the Rochester Media Association. She's also been a leader on social media, keeping Rochesterians up to date on her Twitter and Facebook pages. Rachel's Twitter account won City Newspaper's Best of Rochester readers poll in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Hélène Biandudi Hofer is an award-winning journalist and a style/fashion consultant based in Rochester, New York. She is the host and producer of Need to Know, a news and public affairs program on WXXI Television. In 2013, Hélène launched her company, JournaStyle, which helps women of all ages and backgrounds discover and develop what she calls one of the most pivotal forms of communication and self-expression: personal style. Hélène’s philosophy and work as a style/fashion consultant is rooted in the belief that one’s personal story can, in part, be shared with the world through the clothes they choose to wear every day. Hélène has stood alongside some of the “masters” in the styling world through her work at CBS News [styling with André Leon Talley for CBS/VOGUE’s Fashion’s Night Out program] and Fashion File Television. Her favorite fashion quote: “One’s style is one’s signature.” - Oscar Wilde

Ms. Chapman graduated from St. John Fisher College in 2004 with a degree in Communication & Journalism. After working with several local news affiliates, she discovered that her true passion was advertising. In 2005, she joined Roberts Communications as an Account Executive where she worked on MasterCard Worldwide and the American Red Cross. Currently, she is an Account Supervisor with Partners + Napier, where she manages both national and local brands, including Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, Rochester Regional Health, and the Ad Council of Rochester. She also serves as the Membership Chair on RAF Board of Directors.

James Farley, Financial Adviser at Northwestern Mutual

James is a Financial Advisor with Northwestern Mutual. He has been helping families and businesses with strategies and tools to create control and confidence around the goals that are most important to them. He works in the areas of Risk Management, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Preservation & Distribution, Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation/Key Person Planning, and Business Succession. He came to Northwestern Mutual in 2009 after having a background in helping build and grow multiple area companies, including a six time Rochester Top 100. He has earned his CLU & CLTC designations and is wrapping up his ChFC, CFP, CASL, & RICP. James is active in the Rochester community and has served in a board position or has assisted in fundraisers for: Rehema Home Orphanage, Salvation Army, Ad Council of Rochester, Rochester Advertising Federation, Open Door Mission, Gilda’s Club, Fairport Baptist Home, and many others. In 2014 he was recognized with the Ad Council of Rochester’s Spark Award which is presented to an individual under the age of 40 who has used their role as a volunteer to serve as a catalyst for positive change, and by setting an example for others to follow. In his spare time he participates actively in the arts community in Rochester and travels the country for concerts on a regular basis.

David Grome, Account Director, Butler/Till

David Grome currently serves as account director at Butler/Till, an independent media and communications agency. His experience spans B2C, B2B and public sector. Past and current clients include CenturyLink, Freightliner/Daimler, Verizon Wireless, KeyBank, Milliken and Kodak. Grome previously worked at Eric Mower + Associates (EMA), an independent, full-service marketing communications agency. Over a period of six years, he secured numerous PR wins for clients including Harpers Bazaar, The Wall Street Journal, PCMag, Inc., Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, along with numerous articles from industry trade publications. Grome is the author of “Common Wealth,” which shares perspectives and proposed strategies to strengthen the social and economic equity of the Rochester region located in Upstate New York. Common Wealth combines David’s interest in public policy, civic engagement and politics with his professional work as a communications and business strategist. He remains active with many Rochester-based companies and community organizations to forge win-win partnerships in an effort to improve regional awareness of issues related to economic development, community service and social justice.

Carl Langsenkamp is the director of Global Analyst/Public Relations for Xerox Corporation. Langsenkamp is responsible for the company’s global Public Relations activities as well as Analyst Relations strategy and initiatives. In his role Langsenkamp manages corporate, financial, diversity, sustainability, and product promotion, as well as crisis communications. Langsenkamp has served in various product and operating company PR roles within Xerox. Activities included building programs to support multiple global locations and media management of the company’s worldwide sponsorship for the Olympic Games. He joined Xerox as a public relations manager for the company's sales and service organizations. Prior to Xerox, Langsenkamp worked in radio and television news as both a reporter and producer. He also served as a communications manager for the New York State Senate and has worked for a high-tech public relations agency. He is also the co-owner of the Lost Borough Brewing Company in Rochester and Restoration Brew Worx in Delaware, Ohio.

Katelin Ryan Pellett, Vice President of Programs at Ad Council of Rochester

Katelin Ryan Pellett joined the Ad Council in September 2008 as Community Outreach Manager, was promoted to Director of Communications & External Relations (a new position at the organization) in the fall of 2010, and in the spring of 2014 assumed her current role as Vice President of Programs, also a new position at the organization. Her primary responsibilities include leading the organization’s program team of 5 people on marketing & behavior change efforts for 200+ nonprofit partners each year. Katelin is also responsible for partnership development, campaign and capacity building program development, and overseeing more than half of the organization’s annual operating budget of approximately $700K.

Katelin previously worked as an event coordinator for both the Partnership for Community Development in Hamilton, NY and Octagon Sports Marketing based in Norwalk, CT. She is a 2007 graduate of Ithaca College, with a BS in Organizational Communication, Learning and Design and a minor in Integrated Marketing Communications.

Katelin is a board member of the Women's Foundation of Genesee Valley, the Women's Council (a Rochester Business Alliance affiliate) and the Rochester Advertising Federation, while also serving on numerous volunteer committees. In her community work through the Ad Council and other volunteerism, Katelin is happy to call Rochester her home. She lives in a historic home in the Neighborhood of the Arts with her husband and 2 tuxedo cats, Barnum & Bailey.

Mary Stone, Senior Editor and Writer of POST

Mary Stone is 1996 graduate of St. John Fisher College. She currently is senior editor and writer of POST, a local, bi-montly magazine she co-developed two years ago. Before POST, Mary spent nearly eight years as a full-time beat reporter at the Rochester Business Journal covering real estate development, advertising and media news, environmental sustainability, Internet-based businesses, technology, architecture and engineering businesses, in addition to various local, publicly traded companies. There and at POST, she specialized in investigative reporting and feature writing. Before the RBJ, Mary worked in France for Semantis, a translation and communications agency offering clients original writing and translation services for advertisements, annual reports, Web sites, packaging, etc. Mary was a project manager working mainly with luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Sonia Rykiel, and Guerlain. Prior to Semantis, Mary freelanced in Paris for Women’s Wear Daily and other industry trade journals at Fairchild Publications. Before moving to France, Mary graduated from the University of Hull in England with a master in business administration.